Larry Gates

Larry Gates was born September 24, 1915 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He was a character actor in many movies and television shows in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for his role as Endicott in the movie In The Heat of the Night (1967) and as Dr. Baugh in Cato on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).



In 1952, Larry Gates made his movie debut playing Dr. Robert Ardley in Glory Alley starring Ralph Meeker and Leslie Caron.

He would play such classic character roles as:

Captain William "Deak" Parsons in Above and Beyond (1952)

Dr. Dan Kauffman in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Professor Robert French in Some Came Running (1958)

Dr. Baugh in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Joe Adams in Ada (1961)

Randolph in The Young Savages (1961)

President Chester Arthur in Cattle King (1963)

Endicott in In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Jameson in The Sand Pebbles (1966)

John Clum in Hour of the Gun (1967)

Commissioner Ackerman in Airport (1970)

On television, Gates had numerous roles on such The Twilight Zone, Goodyear Television, Studio One, Playhouse 90, Bonanza, Route 66, The Defenders, Rawhide, Lou Grant, The Untouchables, and Mannix.

From 1983 until his death in 1996, he played Harlan "H.B." Lewis on The Guiding Light. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series in 1986.

In addition to his career in movies and television, he was also a Broadway star. He made his Broadway debut as the befuddled Sydney Redlitch in "Bell Book and Candle". He also appeared in the Broadway productions of The Teahouse of the August Moon, Hamlet and A Case of Libel. He was nominated for Broadway's 1964 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "A Case of Libel."



Larry Gates passed away on December 12, 1996 from complications of Leukemia.